Once upon a time, there lived two girls and two boys in the same building. The girls were Avnira and Srinika, and the boys were by the name Vyom and Sharva. Avnira, Srinika, and Sharvan were 7, while Vyom was 6.
One day they decided to go for a trip to Cubbon Park with their parents. The four children and their parents took a bus ride to the park. They were all very excited and were looking forward to having a great day at the park — eating, playing, enjoying rides, making new friends, and having a picnic.
When they reached Cubbon Park, the children were so excited that they ran off inside the park. They ran so hard and so far, that they quickly got lost in the woods. Their parents were left far behind. But luckily they four were together. They started looking around to make sense of where they were, but their parents were not to be seen, neither any adult was there.
They did not know whom to talk to, as they were scared to speak to strangers. Luckily, Avnira was very smart, and she knew what to do. She told everyone, “don’t worry friends. Let’s try finding someone as old as 10 years, and we will take their help.” So, they split up and started looking around.
Each child went to different sections of the park in different directions. Suddenly, Avnira spotted a girl. She looked familiar to Avnira. She was Shravya, one of Avnira’s park friends. Avnira asked, “Shravya, can you please help us?” “Sure, what help you want Avnira?” said Shravya.
Avnira explained, “I and my three friends came to the park and in our excitement, we ran off into the park, and now were are lost. Can you please help us find the way?” “Of course”, said Shravya.
Avnira thanked Shravya. So Avnira ran right into the spot where she and her friends split up and started calling their names. In a while, Sharva, Srinika, and Vyom came running to her. “I found someone. She is my friend. Her name is Shravya,” said Avnira.
Shravya asked, “where did you guys start running from?” Vyom said, “it was from the entrance of the park, where the bus stops.” Srinika added, “our parents must be worried and waiting for us there.” Sharva said worriedly, “what if the bus has left without us?” At this thought, Vyom and Srinika started crying. Looking at this, Avnira, Sharva, and Shrayva tried calming them down.
Sharvya recollected, “luckily whenever I am outdoors, I always carry my survival kit to help myself and in case somebody is lost.” She took a notepad and a pen out of her survival kit and noted down all the things they had between five of them:
- Five big packets of Lays chips
- Five protein bars
- Five apples
- Swiss Army knife
- Five bottles of water
- One 20- feet rope
- One torch
- One whistle
- Two sticks
- Lighter
- Tent
It was soon becoming dark. “We must light the fire as it’s getting dark. Can someone gather a few sticks?”, asked Shravya. “Yes, we can do it,” said Vyom and Avnira. When the kids were gathering woods, they suddenly spotted a girl. They went close to her and she turned out to be Avnira’s friend Amulya. Avnira was very happy looking at Amulya. She introduced Amulya to all her lost friends and said, “friends, meet Amulya, she’s one of my good friends and we often play together at the park.”
They wondered what Amulya was going all alone at the park at that hour. She was coming to Cubbon Park with her parents but like other kids, she got so excited that she ran towards the jungle and lost her way. Now, all the kids were together, and they were happy but also a little afraid.
Suddenly, they heard a song. It went like, “Mango, go go mango, mango … shake your coconuts…” Instantly, Avnira and Amulya recognized the song and shouted, “Deeeeeeepu siiir!”
Then they started singing the same song and all the kids joined them in singing the song loudly. Deepu sir from Bethany School heard them and said, “who is singing this song? May be, Avnira.” As he walked up to the fireplace he saw Avnira and all her friends singing the song and dancing. Deepu sir asked surprisingly, “what are you doing in the night at Cubbon Park? And where are your parents?”
Amulya said, “sir, we came here on a bus and we got so excited that we ran into the forest and lost our way.” Sharva added, “we can’t find our parents.”
“Wait a minute”, interrupted Vyom. “What are you hold Deepu sir?”
“Oh, that’s a guitar,” said Deepu sir. “Should I play it for you young boy?”
“Yes,” said Vyom and all the kids. “But wait a minute,” interrupted Avnira. “Can I introduce you to everyone, sir?”
“Of course,” said Deepu sir.
“I am Avnira. Here is Amulya. The young boy who was speaking to you is Vyom. The other boy is Sharva, and the girl with him is Srinika. Here is Sharvya who is the eldest of us all and has got a survival kit,” explained Avnira.
Shravya asked if we can set the tent now. Everyone said, “yes!”
Sharva asked, “sir, why did you come here?”
Deepu sir said, “I was taking Junior-1 for a field trip. Suddenly, I lost my way.”
At this Avnira inquired, “but why did you lead the field trip instead of ma’am?”
Deepu sir explained to the kids that ma’am had a meeting. But the students were too excited and didn’t want to wait. So, Deepu sir took them on the field trip.
Vyom asked Deepu sir, “can you stay here with us tonight?”
“Yes”, said Deepu sir. “Because I am elder to you, so I can stay here, and look after all of you.”
“Wait a minute”, said Avnira. “I have an idea. If you have your phone, you can call my father.”
“Hmmm,” said Deepu sir. “I don’t think I have my phone with me.”
“Maybe you can check,” said Vyom.
So Deepu sir check-in his pockets and found nothing. And Deepu sir was wearing a watch.
“What is that,” asked Vyom.
“That is a smartwatch,” said Deepu sir.
“Can you call people from a smartwatch,” asked Shravya.
“Yes, smartwatches are just like phones,” said Deepu sir.
“Try calling everyone’s parents,” said Avnira.
The first one was Vyom because he was the youngest. Next was Avnira. Then was Srinika, Sharva, Amulya, and, finally, Shravya. Then Deepu sir called everyone’s parents, and asked, “Hello there. Your kids are left at Cubbon Park, when will you take them home?” All the parents told him that they will be coming next morning.
Avnira was excited, and asked Shravya, “isn’t it like a sleepover?”
“Yes,” said Shravya.
“But there is one problem,” said Vyom. “We don’t have beds. Where are we gonna sleep? I don’t want to sleep on the floor in this forest.”
“I have an idea,” said Shravya. “Everyone should gather leaves and make beds. And for quilts, we need to get some thread. And I know just the thing to get threads — the thread that monkeys swing on. I will collect those and put leaves on them.”
“Wait a minute,” said Avnira. “What are we going to do to brush?”
“We are going to eat mint leaves,” said Shravya. “But who will be in charge of the tent?”
“I,” said Deepu sir. “I will look after the tent while you gather mint leaves.”
All the kids split into teams. Avnira and Vyom were in the leaf gathering team. Sharva and Srinika were in the thread gathering team. While Amulya and Shravya were in the mint leaf gathering team. In a minute, Shravya and Amulya were ready with the mint leaves. In a while, Avnira and Vyom came back a sack of big and fresh leaves to make the bedding and the blanket. And Sharva and Srinika came back with the vines.
Soon Deepu sir started stitching. Within a few minutes, the things were ready. And they all slept peacefully.
The next morning, when everyone came out of their tents they saw five lions standing outside.
Seeing the lions, everyone shouted, “Deepu sir.. Deepu sir!”
Deepu sir immediately comes out of the tent and sees the lions. He has nothing but a guittar in his hands. He said, “let me try getting the lions out of here by playing some music. Whoever has a musical instrument can join me!”
At this, Avnira started wistling, and said, “this is my musical instrument.” But others did not have any musical instrumentals. So sir asked them to get some sticks and leaves or whatever they could find and make music out of it. But they realized that they also needed a singer.
“Who will sing?” asked Deepu sir to everyone. But nobody knew who could sing the best. Deepu sir suggested that each one takes the turn to sing and whoever sings the best can be the lead singer.
While Vyom was singing, one of the lions interrupted. “I can no longer sit and be hungry. I want to eat one of you.”
“Okay,” said Deepu sir. “Can you give us ten minutes?”
The lion agreed to wait for ten minutes. Soon Avnira decided the singer and announced that it is Amulya who would lead the lion to the perfect place where they could eat their food. In the meanwhile, Deepu sir called the poilce and asked them to take away the lions back to the zoo.
Soon all the parents arrived at Cubbon Park in the bus and started calling out their children. But they couldn’t find them anywhere. While they were looking for the kids, the spotted Prisha with Riddhima.
“Hello Prisha,” said Avnira’s father. “Are you lost too?”
Prisha said, “yes uncle. We both are lost!”
Avnira’s father asked them to join the team of parents so that the two girls are safe, and they can go back to their parents.
In the meanwhile, the lions were getting restless and hungry. The lion king said, “hurry up guys. I want to eat any five kids.” But the baby lion said, “no. I won’t eat these kids. I want to play with them. Please leave them alone and don’t eat them.”
The lion king agreed and all the kids thanked the little lion and his parents. At this Shravya was very happy and gave each lion some chips she was carrying.
“These chips are yummy,” said the baby lion. “What can I do for you in return?”
“Okay. Can you give us a way to call you whenever we are in trouble or we want to play with you?” asked Avnira.
The baby lion said, “my name is Simba. You call me anytime. All you have to say is —‘Oh Simba!’ Then I will come in a minute.”
The lions were soon gone.
Deepu sir asked his smart watch the way out of the jungle. Before the watch could tell the direction the police came. One of the police officer asked, “Where are the lions?”
“Oh, they are gone and we are all safe,” said Deepu sir. “Can you please guide us out of this park?”
“Yes,” said the captain of the police team. “I know the whole of Bangalore’s parks, in and out.”
They left to the main gate of the park and found all the parents waiting there. The parents were so happy to see their children and thanked Deepu sir for helping them all.
The children told thier parents that they met lions in the park and have made friends with Simba, the small lion. They all called, “Oh Simba” and there was the little Simba present before everyone.
Everyone was happy to meet Simba, gave him nice things to eat and then said goodbye to him.
The parents and children along with Deepu sir left in the bus and enjoyed the ride back home.
The end.
